Norwegian North Pole team talking to ExWeb from the high Canadian Arctic
Posted: Mar 07, 2014 03:34 pm EST
(By Correne Coetzer, updated Mar 08 02:32 am EST) Lars Mangerud Flesland (25) and Kristoffer Glestad (24) will be the youngest team to ski the North Pole if successful, and Kristoffer the youngest to do it unassisted (no resupplies). Currently Canadian Tessum Weber is the youngest to ski a full route to the North Pole. He did it assisted at age 20 with his father, Richard, and an international team.
Both Lars and Kristoffer served in the Norwegian Army and are currently enrolled in a five year Master of Science program at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, where they are studying Mechanical Engineering. The two friends have the same dream and goal, to ski to the Geographic North Pole.
ExplorersWeb caught up with the team three days ago while practicing and preparing in Iqaluit, Baffin Island. In the mean time they have flown to Resolute Bay and yesterday have weighed in their sleds at Kenn Borek Air, ready to get a flight to their start point at Cape Discovery as soon as the Twin Otter returns from dropping the first group and the weather permits flying.
ExWeb wants to know from them what attracts them to take on this challenge to the North Pole. Lars answers, "First of all the incredible beautiful and extreme environment. Also, a North Pole expedition has been a dream for the both of us since we were children.”
During their preparation the two men did it 'the Norwegian way’, ExWeb was told, that is, 'asking everybody for advice'. We want to know from them which Norwegian Polar explorers they asked for advice and what were their top tips.
"So many, and they have all been really nice to us and helped us out a lot. Kjetil Holen. Lars Ebbesen. Petter Nyquist. Rune Midtgaard. Mads Agerup. John Huston (US). Rune Gjeldnes. Børge Ousland.” Update: The team added: "Sjur Mørdre has also helped us out a lot!"
And the top tips: "Keep things dry. Have fun out there!"
About their menu, Lars tells they will have Møllerens Outmeal Apple and Cinnamon for breakfast. "It's really good! Real Turmat Freeze dried food for dinner. For lunch we snack: nuts, chocolate, coconut fat, energy bars and some pepperoni sausage. We also add oil to our breakfast and dinner."
What brand clothes do they wear?
"Norrøna and Brynje for the most part. We are proud that these brands are Norwegian, they deliver such amazing clothes. We only bring one pair of (almost) everything, because the quality is so good.”
Pulks: Acapulka.
Skis and skins: Åsnes Amundsen. Short skins.
Ski poles: Swix expedition
Boots: Alfa Mødre Pro.
Snow shoes: No snow shoes
Drysuite: Helly Hansen
Sleeping bags: Mammut Ajungilak Denali + Western Mountaineering thin outer bag + custom fleece bag (Kristoffer's mother made them).
The Arctic ice is unpredictable; what would their strategy be, ExWeb asks. "Not to stress,” says Lars, "but do everything efficiently and to focus on pushing forward. 5 minutes extra each break becomes a lot after 40-50 days."
"Also, to take care of each other and to respect the extreme environment of Arctic Ocean However, the only thing that is a certainty out there is that something unpredictable is going to happen. Well, just have to deal with things as we go along."
Anything else? "We would like to thank our main sponsors: Subaru, Powel and Multiconsult. Without the help from them, this dream would not be possible!"
A Geographic North Pole expedition covers the full distance between land and the Pole.
The Cape Discovery route (Canada) to the Geographic North Pole is 780 km in a straight line and without the negative drift.
Ward Hunt Island (Canada) start point calculates at 775 km.
Geographic North Pole is at 90ºN
1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole:
78° 35'42.00"N, 104° 11’54.00”W
Resolute Bay: 74° 41.808N, 094° 49.402W
Follow the teams' blogs (those with RSS feeds) in the live News Stream at Explorersweb.
Previous/Related
Baptized by fire: ExWeb interview with NP skier Tessum Weber, 20
North Pole 2014: first skiers flying to their start point
Dmitry Shparo's Top 5 North Pole Tips
Irish North Pole team checking in at ExWeb from Resolute Bay
The cost of Arctic travel: Jerry Kobalenko talks to ExWeb
Yasunaga Ogita talking to ExWeb from the high Canadian Arctic
North Pole 2014 full route ski expedition list
ExWeb interview with Ryan Waters, "an unwritten and unexplainable mental edge”
ExWeb interview with Eric Larsen, "a mix of poetry and hell to the North Pole”
ExWeb interview with Bernice Notenboom, the Arctic and the world’s climate
Ray Zahab and team Baffin Island run 2014
Vincent Cochin to sledge-haul 2300km Canada to Greenland
Teams starting from Cape Discovery, Ellesmere Island to the Geographic North Pole (90ºN)
Unassisted, Unsupported:
Yasu Ogita, Japan, solo
Team Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters:
Eric Larsen, USA
Ryan Waters, USA
Mountain Professionals Facebook
Team Kristoffer Glestad (24), Norway and
Lars Mangerud Flesland (25), Norway
Assisted, Unsupported:
Irish team Clare O'Leary and Mike O’Shea
Starting from Geographic North Pole (90N) to Canada
Assisted, Unsupported
'Arctic March' team:
Eric Philips, Australia
Bernice Notenboom, The Netherlands / Canada
Martin Hartley, UK
1996 Magnetic North Pole
Matt Stowers and Kev O’Brien
Northern Exposure live tracker
Canada to Greenland (Kugaaruk and Qaanaaq)
Vincent Cochin
Blog (personal)
Blog (Nanook expedition)
Follow blog posts in the live News Stream on ExplorersWeb.
Weather links:
The Arctic Weather products link on the Canadian Ice Service IPY Legacy page
Two-day sea ice drifts for the whole Arctic Ocean on the Danish DMI website
ENVISAT ASAR images on the Polarview website
Canada Weather Office satellite image
NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory
University of Illinois cryosphere images
Wayne Davidson’s Extremely High Horizon Refraction
#polar #northpole2014 #KristofferGlestad #LarsFlesland
courtesy Lars Mangerud Flesland, SOURCE
SOURCE
courtesy Lars Mangerud Flesland, SOURCE
courtesy Eric Larsen, SOURCE
courtesy Arctic Ice Drift Maps 2013 : Image from http://www.arctic.noaa.gov / Mike O Shea and Clare O Leary, SOURCE
